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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24700951">Hope: Lost and Found</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/intricatepoppy95/pseuds/intricatepoppy95'>intricatepoppy95</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Outer Worlds (Video Game), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Eventual Smut, Guns, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Knives, M/M, Making Out, Mild Angst, Mutual Pining, Outer Worlds AU, Pining, Sci Fi Guns, Sci Fi Violence, Sexual Tension, Space Pirates, TodoDeku Big Bang 2020, Todoroki Enji | Endeavor's Bad Parenting, alcohol mention, injuries</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:42:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,320</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24700951</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/intricatepoppy95/pseuds/intricatepoppy95</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Izuku Midorya had been woken up by the crazy haired scientist, he hadn’t expected to become involved with uncovering a huge government conspiracy, becoming a glorified space pirate, or even making friends, so imagine his surprise when the leaders at Sub-Light Salvage company asked him to retrieve a very unique ‘parcel’ from a Board member’s home for an obscene sum of bits. Imagine, if you will, his even greater surprise when he discovered the ‘parcel’ in question was, in fact, a man his own age with striking red and white hair and mismatched eyes, lounging in his lavish bedroom, looking somehow bored with the idea of being kidnapped.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bakugou Katsuki/Kirishima Eijirou, Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto, Uraraka Ochako/Yaoyorozu Momo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>TodoDeku Big Bang 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Who's Kidnapping Who?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Oh my Law it's finally HERE! I want to give a huge thank you to the amazing Misa (@indidere) for the gorgeous art for this fic and for everyone at TDDK BB for being so freaking fantastic.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
  
</p><p> </p><p>When Izuku Midorya had been woken up by the crazy haired scientist, he hadn’t expected to become involved with uncovering a huge government conspiracy, becoming a glorified space pirate, or even making friends, so imagine his surprise when the leaders at Sub-Light Salvage company asked him to retrieve a very unique ‘parcel’ from a Board member’s home for an obscene sum of bits. Imagine, if you will, his even greater surprise when he discovered the ‘parcel’ in question was, in fact, a man his own age with striking red and white hair and mismatched eyes, lounging in his lavish bedroom, looking somehow bored with the idea of being kidnapped. </p><p>It was a good look on him.</p><p>“So what are you going to do, dissident?” The young man raised a grey eyebrow in vague interest. “Are you going to kill me? I assure you that will not do anything to my father except perhaps infuriate him for having to pay for stain removal attachments for our SAMs.”</p><p>Izuku stifled a small chuckle at that. “It seems that you have less faith in your father than my employers do. They probably expect him to at least pay a ransom for your pretty head.” Where had that come from?! He sounded like a pirate from one of Kiri’s aetherwave serials. He fought down a blush, grateful for the mask he’d spent the last of his bits on. “I promise you, I’m not going to hurt you. Just make your father miss you long enough to get a paycheck.”</p><p>"You <em>severely</em> overestimate my father’s paternal instincts, dissident.” The man rolled his eyes and flopped back on the luxurious bed he was sitting on. “Honestly, me being kidnapped will only help his cause against the working class. There’s no way this is going to work in your favor, so, please. Leave before I have to call security. I’d rather not have your ‘pretty head’ blown to bits, hm?” He sat up, lazily lolling his head to the side, mixing the colors of his hair. “You’ll only be helping him if you kidnap me.”</p><p>This presented Izuku with a dilemma. While Sublight was offering him a small fortune for this job, giving the Board any reason to make life harder on the lower class citizens of Halcyon was the opposite of what he vowed to do. After Edgewater, he vowed to stop the Board from hurting the people of the colony or die trying, but Izuku wasn’t necessarily ready to try dying for them yet.</p><p>The man on the bed sighed. “Tick tock, Mr. Dissident. I’m really getting tired of your mumbling.”</p><p>“Oh, sorry, I was just trying to figure this out, excuse me for thinking of someone other than you, your majesty,” Izuku swept low into a melodramatic bow, making sure the man could hear the venom in his voice. “Some of us actually have to think about taking care of others, not just having everything brought to us by automech at our beckon call. If you’re so bored, do something about it!”</p><p>The spoiled prince’s eyes widened. Izuku braced himself for the blare of alarms, but nothing came. Instead, he was just staring, still wide eyed and mouth agape. “No one has ever dared to talk to me like that before.” </p><p>“Well, they should try it more often.”</p><p>Almost imperceptibly, the man nodded. He stood up, and walked toward Izuku. It was difficult to hold eye contact as this <em> (admittedly handsome) </em>aristocrat stalked forward, and ever harder when he started circling him like a vulture. “Yes, this might work,” he mumbled.</p><p>“W-what might work?” Izuku silently cursed his stammering. </p><p>“You.” The man stopped in front of Izuku and put his hands on the captain's shoulders. It was the first time Izuku noted their height difference and had to hold himself from swooning a little. “You’re perfect.”</p><p>“Listen, I’m flattered, but-“</p><p>“No no no. You misunderstand. You’re my ticket out of here.”</p><p>Izuku’s jaw dropped. “Your ticket-- why would you want to leave life in the lap of luxury?! </p><p>“It’s bound to be more entertaining than this, and I have personal reasons for getting away from my father that I do not need to address with you, dissident.”</p><p>Izuku scoffed. “I have a name, you arrogant prick.”</p><p>“Does that matter?”</p><p>He flung out his arms in frustration. “Do you even know what kind of shit I get up to?! The things I have to do to keep food on the table?!”</p><p>“No, and that’s what makes you perfect. You’re my chance to leave this chiseled, planned out existence,” the man continued, pacing, “my father bred me for the perfect combination of looks and brains. My future has been set in stone since the day I was born: one day, I’ll grow up, sign a marriage contract with a fashionable and meritorious woman, spawn some brats, and then take my father’s place on the Board. But you!” He whipped around to point at Izuku. “You offer me something I cannot buy. You offer me a chance at freedom.” </p><p>Izuku shot a withering glare toward him. “Look, I’m sorry your life sounds so unbearable, really. Can’t imagine what it’d be like having everything handed to you in complete safety. But seriously, you can’t actually be thinking of doing what I think you are.”</p><p>“I’m going to run away with you.”</p><p>Izuku dropped his head to his hands. “Yep. That’s what I thought you would say,” he groaned. “Gonna be honest, as lovely as this meeting has been, I don’t take on people who can’t fend for themselves. You wouldn’t last a day out in the wilds of Halcyon.”</p><p>The bi-color haired man smirked “Do you really believe my fancy education has just been charming people at fancy dinners and knowing which fork to use?”</p><p>“Yeah, pretty much.”</p><p>The aristocrat huffed and looked out the window. “Do you see that mock-apple tree across the square?”</p><p>Izuku squinted until he could barely see the yellow fruit hanging probably 2000 yards away. </p><p>“Don’t take your eyes off them.”</p><p>Before he knew it, the man had pulled out a sniper rifle, aimed, and blasted one clean in two. To say he was impressed was an understatement, but he couldn’t show it. “Okay, you can shoot. Are you prepared for what life away from your home will require? It’s not going to be a picnic.”</p><p>The man just waved a hand dismissively. “I’ve watched enough serials to get the gist. Besides, I’ll pay you to take me with. What did, Sublight I’m presuming, offer you? I’ll double it.”</p><p>“It’s not about the bits, when it comes to you joining my crew-“</p><p>“Triple it.”</p><p>“Are you insane?”</p><p>“Possibly. Do we have a deal?”</p><p>Izuku folded his arms. “I don’t even know your name!” </p><p>“Oh that? It’s Shouto. Shouto Todoroki. Anything else, or can we get moving?” The man- Todoroki- was already pulling out a drawer in his desk. He dug out a bit cartridge and eyed the digital screen with the amount on it. “Is this enough?”</p><p>“Is this enough, he sayyy- oh my LAW. You ARE insane!”</p><p>Todoroki nodded exasperatedly. “We’ve been over this, can we go?”</p><p>Izuku gave it one last shot. “Just how am I supposed to get you out of here, hmm?”</p><p>Todoroki smirked at him. “Easy, you do what you were sent to do: kidnap me.”</p><p>~*~</p><p>Izuku was loath to admit it, but Todoroki’s plan was pretty well thought out. Before leaving, he left a note in his father’s office detailing that he had most definitely run away, adding in details that only he would know, and sealed it. As soon as that was done, he snuck back to his room and let out a very uncharacteristic cry for help.</p><p>“Oh guards, help! A dissident is in my room!” He slumped into Izuku’s startled arms like a character out of a drama picture, hand flung over his forehead and became dead weight in his arms. Clearly, he wasn’t bound for stardom any time soon, but it worked on the bumbling security team. </p><p>“Young master Shouto!” “We’re coming!” “We won’t let that dissident scum ravage you!” Todoroki actually snorted when he heard that last one. He looked up. “Well, dissident? Make my ‘ravaging’ at least semi-convincing. I can’t be the only one acting here.”</p><p>Izuku rolled his eyes. “You call that acting?” In a blink, he scooped up the bratty aristocrat in a fireman carry and pointed a gun at the guards. “Nobody move, or your precious master will get more than ravaged.” The last word got a little choked, but it seemed to convince the guards. They lowered their weapons and backed away. “Alright that’s better. Now, if you don’t want to see a single hair harmed on his pretty head,” he grimaced. <em> Again with that phrase! I really needed to work on not sounding like an aetherwave villain. </em>“If you don’t want to see him hurt. I suggest you turn around and do not follow us.”</p><p>One mouthy guard piped up, “He’s tiny! We could take him!” Izuku wasted no time in firing the guard’s gun out of his raised hand. He really only intended to knock the weapon away, but his gun powerfully sent not only the pistol flying, but also the hand holding it. The guard yelped like a puppy and cowered. Against his shoulder, he could feel Todoroki start to shake with silent laughter. The feeling gave him more confidence, and he raised his gun again. “That was a warning shot. Should we find out who else thinks they’re quicker on the draw?”</p><p>The guards looked between each other, paused, and, finally, to Izuku’s relief, turned around and stiffly marched away. The green haired man wasted no time in turning tail and running, carrying Todoroki like he weighed nothing. </p><p>He was almost out of the bedroom window when a sharp pain pierced his arm, causing him to stumble. He barely kept his hold on the aristocrat, pure adrenaline coursing through his veins. The pain repeatedly coursed through him like waves on a sulfur lake.</p><p>
  <em> N-Rays. Fuck. </em>
</p><p>Sure enough, he turned and saw the purple energy surrounding his arm. He grabbed an adreno from his belt and inhaled as quickly as he could, trying to stave off the effects, but it wasn’t enough. If he hadn’t been carrying Todoroki, he would have been able to stuff an extra soda or whatever into the canister for a buff, but he hadn’t thought to mix some before the mission.</p><p>Izuku could hear the guards getting closer. He did his best to pull himself through the window while both completely losing feeling in one side and feeling like someone shot his nerves up with Spectrum, which is to say he was having a rough fucking time. He gritted his teeth and swore. </p><p>“We’re almost there! Come on, dissident, we’re so, so close!” He could actually hear the desperation in the young man’s voice, as if he was, for the first time in his life, begging for something he wanted.</p><p>Izuku did the only thing he could think of. He leaned out the window and tossed the shocked man out, turned weakly to the guards to give a sassy, two-fingered salute, and dove after him.</p><p>They tumbled to the courtyard grass, bruised, but no worse off than before. Izuku pulled them through a nearby gate, but the motion nearly made him black out in pain. He bit his tongue to keep from screaming, but continued pulling the young man toward the maintenance tunnels. </p><p>He had only moments before the pulsing N-Rays spread through his body to his heart, so Izuku pushed through the pain. Once inside the elevator, he slumped to the ground. “Fuuuuuuck.”</p><p>Todoroki leaned down, examining his arm, but Izuku pushed him away. He quickly mixed together some random medicines in his bag and inhaled probably too many times, but he couldn’t risk the purple energy making it to his core. </p><p><em> Oh. That was definitely too many times. </em> He felt the effects of a little too much Adrena-Time hit his system and his brain power slowed to a snail’s pace. Had his hands always looked like little sprats?</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>Izuku turned, lightheaded. “Hwhaaa?” A pretty boy was sitting across from him. “Why thank, nice boy? Ice boy. Icy nicey boy.” He flopped over giggling. <em> God what did I mix in there? </em></p><p>He must have said that aloud because Todoroki turned to check that. “Did you know that you added in mock apple cider, not juice?”</p><p><em> Oops </em>.</p><p>“Yes oops. How long do you think the effects will last? I don’t know my way around these disgusting tunnels, and I highly doubt you do right now.”</p><p>Izuku swore he’d felt better stepping on clusters of mines. He thought as hard as he could about a way out. “M’friends know! I’ll call ‘em.” He began to pull out a small comm from his pack when the handsome man pinned his hands to the ground beside his ears. Izuku’s eyes went wide and he didn’t know if his jack-rabbit heartbeat was due to the excess of drugs he’d just taken or from how close Todoroki’s handsome face was to his. He hadn’t noticed when they’d been in his room, but the man was wearing some sort of makeup over his left eye. It had smeared during the escape and now revealed a large scar, possibly from a burn, but Izuku didn’t think it made him any less beautiful. If anything, it made Todoroki look even more dashing, but that was probably the drugs talking.</p><p>“Absolutely not. You are not going to ruin this for me by using a fucking radio. There’s,” Todoroki sighed wearily. “Look, there’s signs, let's just follow them. Come along, dissident.” Regrettably, the aristocrat leaned away from his place above the captain, slid his arm around Izuku’s waist and dragged him to his feet.</p><p>“Have a name, y’know,” he pouted as he poked the man in his (surprisingly solid) side.</p><p>Todoroki let out a huff. “Really, I would never have guessed. Would you like to tell me? Or should I guess like a kids’ fairy serial?”</p><p>“I don’t even know what that means,” the freckled man threw his head back and whined. “My name is Izuku Midorya. Wait, no. It’s... Hawthorne. That’s what the ship says I gotta be. It’s a secret, so shush.”</p><p>“Whatever you say, Izuku.” Oof. The way he said his name sent shivers up the small captain’s spine. His voice was pleasantly deep, like a nice, warm bath, and drug addled-Izuku wanted to sink right into it. </p><p>He was mid melt when he finally processed Todoroki addressing him. “How long until you think you can walk on your own? Not that I want to seem ungrateful that you saved me from my dull fate, but you are rather heavy.” Izuku realized how much he was leaning on the other man and reeled back, promptly slamming himself into a wall. He could see a little straighter, so he figured he could pull out his medi-inhaler and re-concoct things, but Todoroki swiftly put a stop to that. The man deftly put a few other additives into his adreno and held it to Izuku’s nose, not even letting Izuku hold it, puffed a cloud of medicine into his face, and, immediately, Izuku sobered up. He made a note in his journal to never mix adrena time and alcohol again, and cursed Spacer’s Choice for not making their bottles more different. </p><p>It wasn’t long after that the two of them made it through the maintenance tunnels of Byzantium and out to the docks. Izuku pointed at the great spaceship landed at the docks. “There’s my ship, The Unreliable. My crew is inside. I’ll warn you, they’re pretty rough around the edges, and Kirishima and Bakugo definitely don’t trust The Board, so… I guess don’t take what they say personally, and Uraraka is very energetic and she’ll probably ask you all sorts of questions about the city, and Iida is really strict so don’t get on his bad side, and—“</p><p>Todoroki put a hand on Izuku’s shoulder. The small captain stopped his rambling and looked over. The man looked like he was trying to figure out what to say, to no avail.  As they looked up the ramp to the door of the ship, Izuku adjusted his jacket and turned to the runaway solemnly. “This is your last chance to back out. I wouldn’t blame you, after all. You step through that door, you’re a fugitive. No turning back.”</p><p>“I know.” The man turned back toward the city gate. He looked almost sad, maybe even a little apprehensive.</p><p>Izuku looked over. “No matter which you choose, I’m grateful I met you.” Todoroki huffed a small laugh in response. “No, really. That was a hell of an afternoon.” </p><p>He held out his hand for a goodbye handshake. The other looked at him wide eyed, and, for a moment, Izuku was prepared to watch him bolt without a second glance, but, instead, he took the captain's hand in his and dragged him toward the door of the ship. He barely caught what Todoroki said as they opened the port door.</p><p>“No turning back.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Sublight Salvage & Storied Histories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When the two of them got to Sub-Light’s base on Groundbreaker a few days later, they explained the plan to the strict looking woman behind the desk. The madame of the Salvage company was vaguely terrifying. She carried a whip for Law’s sake. She appeared to be ready to scold (</span>
  <em>
    <span>punish</span>
  </em>
  <span>!) Izuku, but thought better of it. “I’m not sure what the two of you are going to do. Do you plan to go back after he pays your ransom, pretty boy?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izuku looked at Todoroki. The captain certainly hadn’t thought about that, but the aristocrat had a determined look on his face. “I understand your concerns. He actually has a letter from me that is separate from the one Captain Hawthorne,” he gestured toward Izuku, “left for the ransom. I’m banking on the Board’s assumption that, when I don’t return, my father never sent the ransom money, and I was killed. More than likely his peers will praise him for keeping money out of the hands of dissidents. I mentioned some… sensitive information he doesn’t want leaked in my goodbye, and said, if he makes a huge show of paying the ransom or he chooses not to pay at all, I’ll sell you those details, ruining his reputation. My father is a prideful man,” he continued. “Nothing matters more than his status on the Board. Not even his family.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was something behind the way Todoroki said that, but before Izuku could mention it, the Sub-Light boss was laughing. “If you didn’t reek of Byzantium propriety, I would have pegged you for one of my own. You’re ruthless, kid. You ever get bored of Captain Hawthorne? You should apply with us.” Something about the way she was leering at Todoroki made him feel irrationally protective. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He decided to step between the two of them. “Well, we finished the job, things are airtight, and we really should be on our way.” Izuku had the other man by the arms, trying to steer him out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Captain Hawthorne, sweetheart?” He turned around from where he’d called the elevator to see the boss holding up a bit cartridge between her fingers. “I assume you need this paycheck, darling, although, I should hold onto it since you ruined my fun with the prince here.” She winked and Izuku’s face flushed. He raised his chin and walked up to her. As he grabbed the cartridge, she yanked him close. “I’d be careful falling for a boy like that, Hawthorne. He’s almost as cold-hearted as I am.” Izuku yanked his arm back, blushing a deeper red, and stalked back to the elevator where Todoroki was waiting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Be safe, my dears! Use protection,” she called as the elevator began descending, and it was all Izuku could do not to cover his face in shame. He was adamant that the attraction to Todoroki was a simple matter of being touch-starved; being cryogenically frozen for years didn’t do anything to help his… needs, and Todoroki was the first attractive man who wasn’t one, trying to kill him, two, deeply involved with someone else, or three, devoted to the Law. It wasn’t because his eyes were both a storm and a sunny day, or that he had an oddly devious side when it came to picking at Kacchan, or even that his hair looked softer than anything he’d ever seen before. Nope. It was just pure, adult libido. Nothing personal, nothing deeper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“CAPTAIN!” He was literally yanked out of his reverie by the subject of his thoughts as he was about to go over a railing into the core of Groundbreaker, Todoroki pulling him back, surprising Izuku with his strength. He drew him away from the edge, Izuku’s back flush to his chest. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not helping! </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought, cheeks turning crimson. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izuku righted his jacket as he turned around, hoping to retain some dignity. “Yes, thank you, Todo—“ He was silenced by a hand clamping down over his mouth. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s a really touchy guy, and his hand is really, really warm. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Izuku had to restrain himself from leaning into his touch; that’d be way too much for his stupid horny brain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Captain, I’m going to ask this once. Please do not use my last name. People are going to be looking for me, and I really don’t want to go back, not before I find- well. I just very much don’t want to go back. So please,” the man was leaning in so close, Izuku could smell the soap he used. It was vibrant, somehow icy and hot at the same time. Todoroki let his hand drift down his cheek, eyes mapping every freckle on Izuku’s face. “Just use my first name. Please just call me Shouto.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was all Izuku could do to just nod. Every fiber of his being was saying </span>
  <em>
    <span>lean in, close the gap, what’s the worst that could happen?</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but he held his ground. “Ahem. Alright, Shouto.” An undefinable look crossed Todo- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shouto’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> face, and something told Izuku not to ask. “We should probably get you some different clothes. No offense, but you look way too put together for the crew of a pirate ship.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Should that be offensive?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, Vicar Iida was pretty salty when I suggested he change out of his robes, but they did nothing for armor.” Izuku made chopping motions with his arms. “‘I’ll have you know, Captain, that it is because of my vows that I wear these robes, and they signify my promise to uphold and teach the Law!’”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouto huffed a small laugh. “Well, I suppose you’re right. Shall we purchase them here? I don’t suppose heading back to Byzantium will work, and I frankly don’t want to wear one of the suits you loot from a marauder’s corpse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! It works for us! But yeah, I know a lady who will get you some new clothes and get rid of your old ones quietly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not that Sub-Light lady is it? I would rather not have her give me a ‘dressing down’.” Shouto visibly shuddered at the thought of returning to the flirty smuggler boss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izuku laughed. “Nah. Ms. Shuzenji is a sweet old lady. Tough as nails, but sweet. Come on,” he nodded for him to follow, leading him through the twisting halls of Groundbreaker, hoping to fix the short circuit he’d caused in his logic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shuzenji’s establishment was tucked into a hotel room, and, despite her sweet appearance, Izuku knew better than to test her. She was quick with her cane and faster with a pistol, but, as long as you behaved yourself, every purchase came with a Purpleberry Crunch candy and a kiss on the cheek. She liked Izuku because he brought results, but she did not approve of his “brutish” and “senseless” tendencies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’d better not be coming back here with broken bones, Captain! My SAM just got the last of your bloodstains out of the floor!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no! No blood this time! I actually came to do a little shopping,” he said as he gestured Shouto forward. “My new crewmate needs a bit of a makeover. Got anything to make him look a little more, I dunno, rugged?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shuzenji got up and looked Shouto over, circling him a few times before tugging him down to look her in the eye. “You know, young man, you remind me of someone. Someone very powerful, from Byzantium, perhaps?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Shouto could respond, Izuku stepped in, sighing. “How much to make you forget who that might be, Shu-San?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah! No, no. Never liked him much, anyway. Tell me, my boy,” she said, looking at Shouto. “What are you hoping to find in this wide colony? What made you go searching for adventure beyond your gilded cage?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouto looked pensive, something about him lost its regal air and became small. He took a deep breath and leaned down to whisper in the old woman’s ear. She nodded sagely as he spoke. “Hm, yes. I see. Well,” she chirped as she stepped back away from him, “I’ll see what I can have my boys dig up, hm? Though my suggestion is for the group of you to head toward Monarch.” She waved her hand at a couple of her guards who turned to look through a computer base on a desk. “It’s a good place to go to look for things the Board doesn’t want found, yes? Isn’t that where you should be heading, Captain? I believe you’ve stalled around Terra-2 enough, my boy.” The little old woman gave Izuku a sharp bap on the head with her cane, causing Shouto to snort in surprise. Izuku looked over to see his eyes bright with amusement, which made him willing to accept as many whacks this old woman would give him just to see that glow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shuzenji shuffled back to her desk. “Now then, the matter of clothes.” She summoned a guard who appeared from the shadows and muttered something to him. “I have just the thing for you, sweetie, but you,” she pointed to Izuku, “must step out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now thoroughly confused, Izuku looked from one to the other. “But, why?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, the young man deserves his privacy, don’t you think? Or did you forget all your manners while spending time with that vulgar doctor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed, “No, ma’am.” He turned to Shouto. “I’ll be outside if you need me, okay?” The other man looked hesitant, but nodded. Izuku shot one last glance at Shuzenji, a look that screamed </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt him and there will be problems</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and stepped out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took a seat on a nearby crate. He thought about picking the lock open, but decided against it when the concierge started watching him too closely. It was usually a bad idea to break into stuff with the owner standing </span>
  <em>
    <span>right there. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Izuku gave the man his jaunty salute and started counting bolts in the wall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time he got to 362, the door to Shuzenji’s room slid open, and his jaw dropped. Standing there, completely made over, was Shouto. Somehow, they had made his hair blend together, messily braided with a pair of goggles as a headband, a few strands loose to frame his eyes. As for his clothes, Shuzenji had outfitted him in a leather-looking jacket with a white shirt and a pair of dark pants. A holster was strapped around his thigh and a pair of tall boots hugged his shapely calves. He looked the part of a dashing pirate. He looked rugged and down for a fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked positively </span>
  <em>
    <span>mouthwatering</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shuzenji was smirking at the still aghast captain. “Oho! I guess I picked a winning look. Here,” she popped a candy into Izuku’s open mouth. “Have a sweet, dearie. It will help with the dehydration.” He quickly closed his lips around the sugar bomb, attempting to play it cool. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He slid off the crate a lot more smoothly than he felt he could, and tried to give a nonchalant appraisal of the man (</span>
  <em>
    <span>dream</span>
  </em>
  <span>) he saw before him. “You look good. I mean, you look less like you! Not that this isn’t you, or you isn’t good, I’m just saying you look more like my crew! Yeah.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Smooth like a canid’s spikes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The old woman stifled a chuckle at Izuku’s fumble, but had the courtesy to spare him what little dignity he had left. Shouto however, raised him that insidiously sassy gray eyebrow, the corners of his mouth imperceptibly turning up. “Oh really? Do I look like a dangerous, psychopathic dissident, hellbent on destroying the very fabric of Halcyon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um… yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good.” He then turned and bowed to the old woman. “Thank you for everything. Especially the, um…” he warily eyed Izuku, “The… item.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, not to worry, dearie. Now, you be sure to keep this one,” she chirped, whacking Izuku with her cane, “out of trouble! Heaven knows he has a knack for finding it! And you!” She whirled around, pointing her cane right into Izuku’s face. “You make sure to take care of him! He’s got an important mission, and I think it’s far more noble than the shenanigans you and your ragtag crew get up to!” She smacked him on the head a couple more times to drive the point home. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ow! Yes, of course, sorry! Just- please!” When the old woman finally relented, Izuku turned back to Shouto with a sigh. “So, are you ready to head back? I’m sure the crew has gotten into some sort of trouble without us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouto nodded. “Yes. Thank you again, Ms. Shuzenji.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Bah, anytime! You’re far more well mannered than this lot. Visit me again, sweetie.” The old woman pressed a Purpleberry crunch into his hand and toddled back to her room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them made their way back to the docking bay in somewhat companionable silence. As they turned to walk up The Unreliable’s ramp, Izuku felt Shouto tug on his arm. He turned and cocked his head. “You okay there, Shouto? Something on your mind?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other man hesitated, then asked if the two of them could speak privately aboard the ship. Instantly, every nerve of Izuku’s body was on edge. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What does he want with me?! Oh god, my room is a mess! Maybe I can sneak in and pick it up first. Would that be too conspicuous? Probably; damn, I should have sent the SAM in there this morning.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>
      <br/>
    </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Captain, it’s fine. It’s likely not as disastrous as Kirishima’s cabin.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Izuku blushed, realizing he had been muttering aloud again, and silently led the way to his quarters. The rest of the crew was still out on Groundbreaker, shopping and visiting with friends, so they avoided any awkward interactions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once inside, he kicked aside some of the clothes strewn about and sat on the desk, and gestured for Shouto to sit on the chair. He refused, and started pacing up and down the small room. “Does this have anything to do with the item you were talking about with Shuzenji? I won’t lie, that was pretty suspicious.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouto chewed on his lower lip, breaking that usually calm veneer into unsettlingly nervous energy. “Captain, I wouldn’t ask you to do this if I didn’t know you could deliver results, but I’m begging you to keep this a secret from the rest of the crew. Can you do that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was taken aback. “Shouto, does this have anything to do with the Board? If it does, you know I have to tell the professor.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The other shook his head. “Not really. It’s really… it’s very personal. That’s why I’m asking for your confidentiality,” he looked at Izuku with anxious eyes. “Please. I don’t think the rest of the crew would report any of this, but I barely know them. If word got back to my father, things would be… bad. Very, very bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promise.” Even Izuku was startled by the strength of his words, but he looked Todoroki in the eye and repeated himself. “I promise that they won’t learn about this until you tell them, but I’m starting to worry. Are you in any danger?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’m not, but if my father finds out, someone will be,” he said solemnly. “It’s a long story.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I was asleep for 70 years, I have some semblance of patience.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Shouto huffed a laugh in spite of his nerves. “I never know whether to believe you or not.” He stopped pacing and leaned on the wall, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I’m sure you are aware of the Endeavor Corporation?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yeah, </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘for the hottest deals, choose Endeavor!</span>
  </em>
  <span>’” The jazzy jingle had played so many times off of vending machines, Izuku couldn’t help but sing it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right. I sometimes forget that we have a jingle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouto sighed. “My father is the CEO of Endeavor, Enji Todoroki.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Izuku could have smacked himself. “How did I not make that connection? I guess I’ve never seen a picture of him, is there any family resemblance?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouto touched his scar, almost on instinct it seemed. “Unfortunately, there is. That’s sort of where the problem stemmed. You understand how marriage contracts work, right?” Izuku made a wiggling motion with his hand. “Sort of, okay. Well, usually, the marriage contracts are drawn up by corporations to breed the most competent employees. My father, </span>
  <em>
    <span>wonderful </span>
  </em>
  <span>man that he is, decided to use his power to draw a contract between himself and the daughter of another, smaller corporation’s head in exchange for a merger with his company. Obviously, the lower CEO agreed; who wouldn’t agree to that kind of advantage? His company was already on the outs, why not marry his daughter off to the head of a far more successful company, procuring both of their legacies among the Byzantine elite? The daughter was less than thrilled, but agreed to help her family. The contract was signed, her father’s company was absorbed into the Endeavor corporation, and she was now married to the most powerful up and coming mind in the colony. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It didn’t take long for the marriage to turn sour. Though my father was charismatic, he was unfeeling and cruel. He continually used her to breed heirs to his company, wanting to create the perfect successor: one with both his cleverness and ruthless sense for business and her grace and charm. Their first child seemed like he might be good enough for my father, but he was sickly, and so he gave up on the weak boy. The daughter wasn’t ruthless, and the second son wasn’t clever, but the third boy was his ‘masterpiece’. I was his perfect, cold hearted, charming viper. He beat his ideals into me, one grueling lesson at a time.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Izuku looked incredulously at Shouto, but willed himself not to interject. His disgust would have to wait, even though every cell in his body was screaming at him to pull the other into a tight hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Honestly, what I went through was nothing compared to what he did to my mother. She tried to protect me, to stop him from destroying my childhood. He hurt her. He warped her mind, breaking her. She stopped leaving her room when he was home, and, when he wasn’t, she would dart from room to room, like a sprat. I was so small; I couldn’t stop him. Even so, she never hurt us. She always told me I could be who I wanted to, that I didn’t have to be who my father bred me to be. She loved me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One day, she was on a comm with her mother, begging her to convince my grandfather to release her from the marriage contract. She said, ‘I can’t look at Shouto without seeing his father.’ It… hurt. I cried. When she heard me, she got startled; she looked like a trapped animal,” the other man’s voice cracked, a single tear running from his eyes. “She was making tea. I remember the kettle going off, and then…” He reached up, touching the edge of his scar. Izuku didn’t need to be told what happened; he knew what burns looked like. “He sent her away, and my siblings with her. He hired all new staff for the house, new guards, sent the previous mechanicals to the scrap heap, everything. I was furious. The Board turned a blind eye, deeming my family’s removal as ‘good business strategy,’ and ignored what my father did.” Shouto balled his hands into fists, shaking with the silent rage that only comes from dealing with a long-standing injustice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I vowed that someday I would find them, but, over time, I started to give up. Shit, I started to actually read the marriage contracts my father was putting together for me. I had genuinely thought that the idea that I would ever see my mother or my siblings again was a stupid, idealistic daydream, but then you came,” he lifted his eyes to Izuku, something sparkling in them like when they first met. “You were the first person in years to talk back to me, to treat me like anything </span>
  <em>
    <span>but </span>
  </em>
  <span>the son of Enji Todoroki, the future CEO of Endeavor Corp. You gave me something I hadn’t had in a long time.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“And what was that?” Izuku’s voice was barely over a whisper, afraid that if he were any louder, the well of emotion would spill over from his heart through his eyeballs in a deluge of tears.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Hope.” Shouto looked him dead in the eye, both blue and gray gleaming with that mesmerizing light. “You made me think I may have a shot at finding them. Shuzenji gave me this,” he pulled out a data pad list of what looked to be a dock’s schedule. “That old woman is something else. This is a list of all the ships that left and arrived in Byzantium the day that my father sent them all away, and this,” he said as he clicked over to another page, “is a set of manifests for each of the ships. It has their destinations, their times, everything. Captain,” he looked up from the data pad. “I can find my family.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izuku gaped at him like a saltuna fish. “So, this is why you asked me to ‘kidnap’ you? To find your mom?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Well, not just her, my sister and brothers, too. I understand if this is something you can’t help with, Captain; you already have a lot on your shoulders. Sorry, I should go.” He got up to leave, but Izuku caught his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait. Okay,” he ran a hand through his unruly curls. “Look this is a lot to take in, I won’t lie, but you are part of my crew. Part of me trusting you with my life is you trusting me with things that are important to you, and I’ll do anything to make sure that happens.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Shouto let out a small chuckle. “Kirishima did tell me about you defrauding Bakugo’s parents. I’m afraid helping me won’t be as entertaining.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“That doesn’t make it less worth it, Shouto,” he said softly, gently squeezing his hand. “If it seems like we might need help, we have to tell the crew.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouto looked at him with wide eyes. “Wait, you mean, you’ll help me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yes, I do.” Izuku realized he was still holding Shouto’s hand and dropped it quickly. “So! Where do we need to go look first? This is my first search and rescue, after all. Most of the rest of them have been search and kill, which I definitely won’t be doing to your family! I mean, unless your family is a bunch of cannibals, which, what are the odds of that happening twice? Oh Law, I’m rambling again aren’t I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouto nodded and looked down at the data pad. “Judging from this, the most likely place is Stellar Bay. That’s on Monarch, and didn’t the old woman say that’s where you needed to go next? It’s two pterorays with one bullet.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As much as Izuku was dreading landing on that wild world, it didn’t seem as terrifying with Shouto’s soft smile staring at him. He pressed the button on the comm. “ADA, set a course for Monarch.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Misunderstandings and Stabbings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The ship landed safely in the Stellar Bay landing docks a week later, and Izuku began his preparations for their venture into the city. A knock sounded at his door, and he opened it to reveal a predictably grumpy Bakugo. The ship’s sawbones had the worst bedside manner of any physician Izuku could think of, but there was no one the crew trusted more to save their skins. He was the only one who unfailingly believed Izuku’s origin as a passenger from the fabled lost Hope transport, and the two of them were close because of that. The blond man stomped his way into the room and gestured for the other to close the door. </p><p>“What’s this I hear about you taking Half and Half into the city alone?” </p><p><em> Shit. Figures he’d want to know the reason why. </em>“Look, Kacchan, I-“ </p><p>“Fuck, don’t you ‘Kacchan’ me! You going out alone, I understand, but taking that son of a Board bastard out alone?! Don’t you think that’s suspicious to the rest of us?!” He threw his hands up in exasperation. “I don’t care what you two idiots get up to in your spare time, but we have a mission. The fate of the entire colony is at stake! You can’t put your fuck buddy ahead of that!”</p><p>“WHOA, who said anything about that?! We’re just friends, and I’m helping him with something personal, just like I helped you and Iida!” Izuku was both embarrassed and defensive over the doctor’s accusations. “I’m not abandoning the mission, Kacchan, we’re going to continue the search for what the professor needs right here in Stellar Bay. It just so happens that this is where the trail for Shouto’s- for Shouto’s personal thing starts.”</p><p>Kacchan shot him a withering glare. “So it’s ‘Shouto’ now?”</p><p>Izuku rolled his eyes. “He asked me to call him that for his and our safety.”</p><p>“What kind of danger could his last name bring?! Law, Deku, who the fuck did you get us mixed up with?!” He threw himself back on Izuku’s bunk and sighed. “What the hell is going on, Cap? I need you to be truthful with me. Look me in the eye,” he said as he sat up. “Look me in the eye and tell me what you two are up to.”</p><p>Izuku felt caught between a mantiqueen and a hard place. On one hand, he could hide secrets from the crew that has supported him from the beginning. On the other, he could break the fragile beacon of hope in Shouto’s heart, likely sending him running back to Byzantium and into the hellscape he escaped from. He took a deep breath and started. “Kacchan, I promise, from the bottom of my heart, we are working to undo a really, really bad thing that his father did. That’s the most I can say. You know that when I make a promise, I keep it, so please, just trust me.”</p><p>Bakugo leaned forward and put his head in his hands. “You know what your problem is, Deku? You don’t know when to say no to someone’s problems.” He looked up, his usual scowl replaced with a soft grimace. “People like him don’t care like you do. He’s cut from the same cloth as my parents: once he’s done with your usefulness, he’ll leave, or worse, he’ll turn us all in to the Board. I don’t wanna be locked up in Tartarus just because you have to save every damn extra you come across.” Izuku just stared at him. Despite his insistence to the contrary, Bakugo cared so much about the crew, about the mission, and about him.</p><p>He sat down next to the blond. “I know. Kacchan, I need you to believe me. I’m not going to put the crew, the mission, or <em> you </em>in danger.”</p><p>“Tch,” Bakugo clicked his teeth while rolling his eyes. “As if we couldn’t handle ourselves,” which was Kacchan-ese for ‘I trust you.’ He stood up to leave, but, when he reached the door, he turned back to Izuku. “Just be careful. The colony is fucked if we lose you, or some shit.”</p><p>Izuku chuckled, “Thanks, Kacchan.” He pressed the button to open the door to his cabin to reveal a glaring Todoroki. “Shouto! Hey! Are you ready to head out?”</p><p>Shouto nodded curtly, his gaze never leaving Bakugo. “I apologize for taking you away from… whatever it is you were doing, but I’d like to begin our search.”</p><p>Bakugo looked between them and barked a laugh. “Are you kidding me, Half and Half? Are all you Byzantine bourgeoisie this dense?” Izuku decided against pointing out that Kacchan was also born and raised in Byzantium in favor of giving Shouto an apologetic shrug. The other’s cheeks colored as he huffed and turned away. </p><p>“Whenever you’re ready, Captain.” The bi-colored man stalked away, and the room felt a thousand degrees chillier. </p><p>Izuku stopped and watched him go. <em> What’s got him riled up? Is he just worried about the trip ahead? I hope I didn’t do anything to offend him. What’s that phrase about hate to see you go but love to watch you leave because holy Law that’s true-- </em></p><p>“Are you as dense as the Peppermint Stick?!” Bakugo smacked him right out of his mumbling, and he responded with a confused face. “Oh Law, you are, and you’re supposed to be the Savior of Halcyon, for fucks sake.” The sawbones stomped up the stairs toward the kitchen, muttering more insults to his and Todoroki’s intelligence. </p><p>Izuku gathered his stuff with a pout and joined Shouto at the exit platform to the ship. “Ready?”</p><p>Shouto simply hummed in response. <em> Weird. </em> They made their way down the lift to the entry into Stellar Bay in awkward silence, Izuku’s anxiety spiking at the uncomfortable air between them. When they made their way into the bustling city, he decided to put off asking him about the situation until they were alone again. </p><p>Stellar Bay reminded him a lot of Edgewater, but… livelier. People seemed to have more genuine expressions on their faces, not just corporate mandated smiles. They weren’t necessarily happy faces, but they were <em> real </em> emotions. There were angry people complaining about their work schedules, frustrated people haggling over the buying price of a mantisaur tail, worried people talking about a friend that went missing in the wilds. Even when he was on the Groundbreaker, Izuku hadn’t seen this kind of emotional spectrum since Earth. Monarch truly was a place of its own. </p><p>Shouto decided to break the silence first, startling Izuku. “I’d always heard this place was a land of savages and marauders,” he said, looking around at the milling crowd. “These are just…”</p><p>“People,” Izuku finished. Their eyes met and Shouto turned away, ears tingeing themselves red. Izuku blushed. “So! Where to first?”</p><p>Shouto clutched the data pad in his hands. “Well, all my adventure stories start by asking the barkeep for information, so my guess would be the nearest tavern?”</p><p>Izuku let out a laugh. “How many of those serials did you read in that ivory tower of yours?”</p><p>“Far too many.”</p><p>The pair navigated their way through Stellar Bay’s winding streets, but it didn’t take much for them to make it to the bar.</p><p>“The Yacht Club? This place had high hopes for itself.”</p><p>Shouto gave Izuku a withering look. “You do know Monarch was supposed to be Terra-1, right? This was supposed to be our new home when we colonized this part of the system, so, naturally, The Board would have made Stellar Bay her crown jewel.”</p><p>“Cut me some slack! I’ve been asleep for seventy plus years!”</p><p>“Sure,” the heterochromatic man rolled his eyes. “Let’s just get this over with.”</p><p>Izuku wasn’t sure what he expected when he walked into the dive, but it wasn’t to have to duck as a ball of corrosive ammo flew toward him. He whipped around to see a pink haired woman pointing a smoking pistol at a cowering man.</p><p>“Honestly, you scumbag! I’m a mercenary! You pay me to <em> kill </em> things not- <em> eyugh </em>!” She grabbed her drink off the counter and poured it on his head. “Get the hell out of here, Mineta, and don’t let me see you around here again unless you want to be melted into a pervert-puddle!”</p><p>The cowardly man jumped to his feet and started to run out the door. “Crazy lady! I just asked to take her home and this is the thanks I get?!” Izuku subtly stuck his leg out to trip him and the pervert went flying. Shouto subsequently kicked him in the stomach and they both continued walking as the weird, purple-haired pervert limped, wheezing, from the bar. The pink haired mercenary giggled cutely, a far cry from her previous rage. </p><p>“Well then, you two seem like you’re a bit more civilized than that creep. Names Mina Ashido, huntress extraordinaire! Can I buy you both a drink?” She waved at the bartender who simply shook his head. She pouted, “Okay, maybe I won’t. Sorry, the mercenary business isn’t so great when people don’t really need <em> people </em> killed.” </p><p>“Understandable. Allow me.” Shouto waved the man over and paid for a round of Iceberg Whiskey. “We don’t have anyone we need killed per se, but perhaps I could pay you for information?”</p><p>Mina narrowed her eyes at Shouto. “Depends on what kind of information you’re looking for.” Her entire demeanor shifted again to something intense, and she trapped them both with her predatory gaze. “I haven’t seen you two around before, and, no offense to your tastes, Monarch isn’t exactly a honeymoon destination, so that leaves me with two options: You’re either here with the Board, or you’re here against them, and around here, there’s only one correct answer to that.” She toyed with her pistol, glare locked on Izuku’s companion. He panicked internally; he really didn’t want to see his attractive friend become an attractive slipping hazard.</p><p>The heterochromatic man’s eyes hardened, matching Mina’s glare. “We’re here to right an old wrong that someone on the Board committed. My family was torn apart because of it, and I’m trying to find them again.” He relayed a shorter, less personal version of the story he told Izuku, leaving out some of the more grisly details.</p><p>Izuku swore he was going to have whiplash with how quickly the huntress’ attitude changed. She practically leapt over him to wrap her arms around Shouto, sobbing openly. “You poor baby!!! Of course I’ll help you, you beautiful man!” Shouto met Izuku’s eyes from under her arm with a slightly terrified look, clearly not knowing what to do with his arms. Mina pulled him in closer and wailed a little bit more, practically smothering Shouto.</p><p>After a few minutes of this, she sat back, wiping big tears from her dark eyes. “Okay, you have a worthy cause, you two. I’d be happy to tell you what I know, but I don’t actually know much about anything beyond hunting the beasts here. What I can do,” she smiled, “is escort you to people who might because, again, no offense pretty boy, you both have no idea what it’s like beyond these walls. The creatures on Terra-2 are daisies compared to Monarch’s beasts. I propose we head out to see a contact of mine near Amber Heights. It’s a bit of a walk, but he’d be your best shot. What do you say?”</p><p>Shouto set his mouth in a thin line. He looked like he was debating the pros and cons of having this wildcard join them. With a hum, he nodded, holding out his hand. “You have a deal, Ms. Ashido. What is your asking price for bodyguard duties?”</p><p>“Call me Mina, and can discuss payment later on, cutie, and it doesn’t need to be in bits,” the vibrant huntress said, winking and  waving her hand dismissively. Izuku felt a roll of heat in his stomach at that, but he chalked it up to the drink. “You two might want to stock up on ammo, though. It’s a long walk to Amber Heights, and it’s right through some vicious mantisaur territory.” </p><p>Izuku laughed and opened his pack to show her his stash. “I think we’ll manage! I like to prepare for any outcome.”</p><p>Mina’s eyes bugged out of her head. “Law! How in Halcyon did you get so much gear?”</p><p>“Do you really want to know?”</p><p>“Maaaaaybe not.” </p><p>She hopped from her bar stool, promising to meet the two of them at the south gate to town. Downing her entire drink in one gulp, she waved and headed out the door.</p><p>“So, she’s… a lot.”</p><p>“She’s my best chance.”</p><p>Izuku looked up at Shouto, watching him watch where Mina had disappeared. He had his jaw set, looking determined and ready to follow wherever he needed to go to find his answers, and the captain knew in his heart that he would be right behind him.</p><p>~*~</p><p>About an hour later, the two of them met Mina by the gate. They’d passed the time by collecting some of the intel Izuku needed for the professor and doing small tasks for the local townspeople (he really hoped that bubbly secretary and the weird hunter guy would have a good time on their date). Weapons in hand, the two of them joined their excitable guide and headed into the Monarch wilds.</p><p>At first, there wasn’t anything different than the areas on Terra-2 that surrounded the cities. There were abandoned homes with loot Izuku skillfully stole from locked boxes, a few marauders that were easily dispatched, and some smaller creatures that didn’t give them too much trouble. All in all, the green haired man started to think they would have no trouble getting to the contact.</p><p>That ended when they came upon the massacre site. Mina stopped the pair with her arm held out, motioning for them to be silent. She drew both her pistols, ready to fire at the first thing that moved. Izuku readied his knife, and Shouto prepared his rifle, both on high alert. </p><p>“Don’t shoot!” A disheveled blonde woman popped up from behind one of the overturned carts, tears in her eyes and hands raised, crying harder as the group whipped around to aim at her. “Please! My friends were taken! You have to help!” </p><p>“Who took them? Start talking,” snarled the huntress.</p><p>“Bandits! A big group of them! W-we were traveling through to Fallbrook a-and they attacked. They wanted our money but we didn’t have any so they kidnapped my friends! I got away by hiding under the cart, but they took them off to their camp! They said something about selling them to the Board for science or something! Please, you have to help!”</p><p>Izuku’s green eyes widened at this. The professor had said that the Board was using human experiments to try to replicate the cryogenic storage process that he’d been through to get to Halcyon on The Hope, looking to use it to stave off some coming disaster. Professor Yagi had sent Izuku to find the necessary ingredients to save the remaining members of the Hope’s lost passengers, claiming that the scientists aboard would be able to save the entire colony. If these bandits were planning to use this woman’s companions as guinea pigs, they’d probably have information that would help his mission. “Do you know where they took your friends?” He lowered his knife and gestured for his friends to do the same. </p><p>“Kinda, they can’t be far. One of the bandits got badly injured in the fight. Please, I’ll give you everything I have, just save my friends,” she wailed miserably.</p><p>Mina looked over to the pair. “It’s up to you two. I’m just here as your muscle.” </p><p>The captain looked to Shouto. The heterochromic man was grimacing, but made a ‘go ahead’ motion with his hand. Izuku smiled at him.</p><p>“Okay, we’ll help. Let’s check the area for clues.”</p><p>“Oh my Law! Thank you so much! You won’t live to regret it!” The blonde woman threw her arms around Izuku, pressing a big kiss to his cheek, which in turn, lit up red. He felt vaguely unsettled by her, but thought it rude to push away the frightened girl.</p><p>“Excuse me,” Shouto said, voice sounding strained, “but you did say one of the bandits was injured, yes?”</p><p>“Yeah, badly, blood was everywhere!”</p><p>“I think I found our trail, Captain.” Izuku walked to where Shouto was standing, the woman still clinging to his arm. Sure enough, there was a trail of blood leading to a dark cave. </p><p>“Heyyy! Good work, Peppermint!” Mina clapped Shouto on the shoulder. “You have the makings of a fine bounty hunter. And I do mean <em> fine </em>.” She winked, making Shouto flush and Izuku feel a twinge of rage. </p><p>
  <em> Nope, that’s just the righteous anger of dealing with a kidnapping. Not thinking about that. </em>
</p><p>“Lead the way, Captain.”</p><p>He bent down into the mouth of the cave. It was a fairly unassuming place, save the carefully placed light-torches and the proximity mines scattered everywhere. Izuku groaned. There was no way to disable these without alerting the bandits. As he’d learned (painfully) in the Emerald Vale, getting within a yard of them triggered the sensors. The only solution was to detonate them.</p><p>“Cover your ears,” he told his group, and aimed his pistol at a well placed explosive barrel. His shot hit its mark and set off a chain reaction, exploding every one of the mines in a shower of different elements.</p><p>“I heard something!” </p><p>Mina snorted, “No shit.” She tugged Shouto behind a rock formation and motioned for Izuku to do the same with the woman. They ducked back, hiding just as a pair of bandits came into view. One had dark hair and a lot of scars, brandishing what looked like a powerful plasma machine gun, so strong it glowed blue instead of the usual burning red, and the other had light, almost blue-blonde hair and carried a baton fizzing with disintegrating N-Rays. </p><p>“Are you sure it wasn’t a sprat? You placed the mines stupidly close together,” the dark one drawled.</p><p>“No, you moron! They were set off by the crate! It had to have been shot! Someone is here,” cried the other in a raspy voice that sent chills down Izuku’s spine. “Come on out, we promise not to kill you. At least, not right away,” he laughed chillingly.</p><p>Izuku tensed, drawing his pistol. He was so focused on the pair ahead of him that he was completely startled by a bullet whizzing past his ear.</p><p>“Ouch! That hurt, you big meanie!” </p><p>Izuku turned to see the blonde on the floor, gripping a dagger. He whipped back to see Shouto’s rifle smoking as he mouthed, ‘You're welcome.’</p><p>“Toga?!” One of the villains shouted.</p><p>“Yeah, ow,” the girl responded. “The trap worked, we got some do-gooders right here.” She jumped up, shrugging off the blast with practiced ease.</p><p>“Alright then,” the dark one called. “Drop your weapons, and come out with your hands up, nice and slowly.”</p><p>Izuku looked at his group grimly. They didn’t really have an option. He could hear a growing commotion from behind the group, most likely more bandits readying for a fight. He set his pistol and knife down and slowly stood up. “Don’t shoot, just tell us what you want.”</p><p>“Isn’t he CUTE, Shiggy? Can we keep this one? I’d love a new plaything.” The blonde, Toga as he now knew her, was swinging off the blue haired one’s arm, watching Izuku with an immeasurably creepy smile. “The last one lost too much blood.”</p><p>Mina and Shouto stood, visible weapons on the ground. The dark haired bandit raised his eyebrows when he got to Shouto. “Well, hey. You’re a long way from Byzantium, aren’t you? Finally decided to leave your gilded cage? Did you escape or did the old man throw you out of the nest like he did everyone else?”</p><p>Shouto’s face screwed up in confusion, like he was trying to remember something long gone. “What-“</p><p>“Ugh, you’re all so annoying! Dabi, stop playing with the merchandise, and, no, Himiko, we’re not keeping any of them for you to use as a pincushion. You have sprats for that,” whined the pale one. On closer inspection, the group appeared to be not much older than them, and not outside the realm of defeat. <em> If we could get their weapons away, </em> Izuku theorized, <em> we could absolutely take them on and escape. </em></p><p>A few more bandits made their way from the depths of the cave, rapidly destroying Izuku’s plans to make this a quick escape. Each of them looked capable and willing to kill them. </p><p>“Here’s what’s gonna happen with each of you,” the blue one rasped, scratching at his neck. “You’re gonna come quietly, we’re gonna tie you up, and we’re gonna sell you to some nice Board execs that’ll pay us really well for new guinea pigs.” </p><p>“Guinea pigs for what?” Izuku asked, hoping that they’d take the bait.</p><p>“We’re not exactly privy to that kind of knowledge, but I did hear something about the last batch being melted into goo. Something about recreating an old preservation technique. Look on the bright side, bush-head,” he rasped as he moved in close, bringing a dry hand to Izuku’s neck. “You’ll be at the forefront of scientific discovery. You gotta scramble a few eggs to get an omelette, after all.”</p><p>“A shame, really,” Toga lamented as she bounced over. “You’re pretty cute. I’d love to watch your agony as they try to freeze you. You’d make an adorable puddle!”</p><p>She threw her arms around Izuku’s neck, and, with that, he had the pair right where he wanted them. With one hand locked around the blue haired man’s wrist and the other Toga’s, he twisted, bringing both slamming to the ground. Before the other bandits could react, Izuku darted away, drawing the pistol hidden in his jacket. </p><p>Shots rang out, and the cave descended into chaos. Mina and Shouto both recovered their weapons and joined the fight. A few well aimed grenades from Mina stopped the advance of the backup bandits, and Shouto easily picked them off. The trio looked like they were going to easily make a break for it. Izuku turned to signal the group to retreat before people could recover. </p><p>“Izuku!” He felt himself being shoved to the ground as a blaze of unbearable heat blew through the air. Shouto was holding him down, jacket smoking, as blue plasma bullets hailed past them. Dabi was laughing as he fired round after round from his weapon, sound rattling through the cave. The two scrambled behind a rock to dodge the barrage of nearly liquid metal.</p><p>“Precious! You found someone you think you <em> can </em>protect, didn’t you? It’s so unfortunate for him: you never wanted to protect anyone else, what makes you think you can save him? That kind of loyalty takes practice, and you? You’re just like dear old dad!” Each word of that sentence was punctuated with rounds of rapid fire. Izuku counted how long the man had been firing. He had to be nearing a reload. When he did, he’d grab Shouto and pull him out. </p><p>“Come out and play, kiddo! We used to have such FUN.” Another long round filled the cave. <em> Any second now. </em> “Don’t you recognize me? I suppose the years haven’t been as kind to me as you. You got to spend all your time in that ivory tower, you fucking lap dog! I had to survive in the wilderness, alone! No one was there to take care of me. All because you were perfect and father didn’t want anything or anyone getting in the way of you being molded into a miniature him! I wasn’t good enough once you came along!” <em> Rat-a-tat-a-tat-a. </em> The heat was getting stronger as Dabi closed in. “The instant you were in the picture, dad threw me away, like trash instead of his actual fucking <em> child! </em>  What will he say when he finds out his garbage destroyed his <em> MASTERPIECE </em>?!” </p><p><em> Click </em>.</p><p>“Shit, fuck, goddamnit.” </p><p><em> Now! </em>Izuku grabbed Shouto’s hand, but the man was shaking with silent sobs. “Come on! We gotta go, Shouto. Please, let me help!” He looked up, eyes wide with something childlike and feral, helpless and desperate. Izuku’s heart broke for the other man, but continued to pull. “We have to go or we are going to die!” Something clicked in Shouto’s mind, and he nodded softly. They stood and bolted for the entry to the cave, zig zagging to avoid any further shots.</p><p>The two had nearly made it to the entrance where Mina was standing when they heard a sickening squelch. Izuku turned to see Toga smiling while driving her blade into Shouto’s shoulder. “That’s for taking my Izuku away, you filthy brat. And this,” she squealed, plunging a second into Shouto’s side, “is for whatever you did to Dabi. No one hurts my friends but me.”</p><p>“The feeling is mutual, bitch!” Mina fired her pistol at Toga, catching her in the arm. She screamed and fell to the ground, waving her melting appendage to shake some of the corrosive acid away, leaving both knives in Shouto’s body. Izuku scooped the man into his arms, the group bolting away from the nightmare behind them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. It's Time to Define</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They didn’t stop running until they made it back to Stellar Bay and the Unreliable, Mina easily dispatching any rogue creatures that crossed their paths. Shouto’s breath was shaky and shallow. Izuku buried his face in his color split hair, inhaling the smell of his soap, his skin, anything to try to mask the smell of his blood dripping around the knives. He tried so hard not to jostle him and move the blades. Tears welled up in Izuku’s eyes. It was all his fault. If Shouto died, it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> fault for trying to help that lying girl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the hell happened?! Oh fuck, that’s a lot of blood! Shitty Hair, go get my surgical shit!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right, yeah!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Captain, what happened? Law, he looks bad! Oh please, don’t cry, Captain!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I must urge you to change your clothes Captain and wash your own injuries! It wouldn’t do to have two injured members of our crew!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His crew. Izuku looked up into the concerned eyes of the friends he’d made. He knew he looked like a mess and would have to explain why he’d brought Shouto back in this state, but all he could do was silently cry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With more delicacy than he’d ever thought possible, Bakugo and Kirishima gently lifted the unconscious form from his arms. They placed Shouto on Uraraka’s workbench before shooing everyone out of the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Izuku started to make the climb to his quarters when he felt a warm hand grasp his. “Captain, can we talk?” Uraraka’s dark eyes were bright and full of concern for her friend. “I don’t know what you two were thinking, going Law knows where without telling anyone what you were up to or where you were heading, but I am glad you both came back alive.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mostly,” scoffed Izuku. He started to wipe his eyes before realizing his hands were still covered in Shouto’s blood. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She gently pulled him toward the kitchen, scolding him softly. “Yes, but mostly does still mean alive, dummy, and, if anyone can save him, it’s going to be Bakugo. The man could  out-stubborn Death himself. He’s gonna be okay, Deku,” she said, helping him wash his hands. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Izuku sighed, smiling weakly at her. “Yeah, I’m sure you’re right. I just feel… guilty.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you stab him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?! No! Of course not!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shrugged, toweling off her hands. “Then you don’t have anything to feel guilty about. I know you love him, but that doesn’t mean every time he gets hurt it’s on you. He’s a grown man.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Izuku froze. He couldn’t have heard Ochako correctly, and stared at her with wide eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She saw his face and sighed. “You hadn’t figured it out yet, had you, Captain?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“F-figured what out?” His voice was barely over a whisper, squeaking at inopportune moments.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The mechanic clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. “That you’re completely and hopelessly in love with him! Dammit, now I owe Kirishima 20 bits.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He glared at her incredulously. “You bet on my love life?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I bet you had more sense than you obviously do!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Izuku collapsed onto the chair behind him. “Shit.” He ran his fingers through his tangled curls, dropping sand and debris on the floor. Their fight had left them all a mess. Remembering what happened brought tears to his eyes, and, no matter how hard he fought, they cascaded down his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh no, Deku,” Ochako said softly, pulling him close. “Please don’t cry. Bakugo will fix this. He’s going to be okay, you’ll see.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-you don’t understand,” Izuku hiccuped. “It’s m-my fault he’s hurt! If I hadn’t h-helped that girl, h-he’d—“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you hadn’t helped that girl, we’d all be wondering who replaced you with a logical, heartless wretch. What happened out there?” Ochako sat down next to him, holding his hand and soothingly stroking the skin with her thumb.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Izuku hesitated, but ultimately chose to relay the story to her, leaving out nothing. He told her about Endeavor Corp, Shouto’s mother, Mina, and finally, the fight with the bandits. He’d have to beg Shouto’s forgiveness later, but he couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth when he started. At some point during his babbling, the brown haired woman had gotten a wet cloth. She quietly listened as he kept going, patiently allowing him to finish before going after his face. Ochako silently wiped away the grime and tears as he cried, shaking and sobbing without semblance of shame. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he finally calmed down, the small mechanic sat back. They were silent for a moment, save Izuku’s sniffles, then she looked up at him, quiet fire blazing in her round brown eyes. “Captain, I don’t fully understand why you wouldn’t tell us about this, </span>
  <em>
    <span>especially</span>
  </em>
  <span> when we could help,” he winced as she narrowed her eyes at him. “But I do understand Todoroki’s hesitation to trust us with such a personal story, and I suppose I get why you chose to keep his faith in you. Still, don’t go off by yourself again. I’ll kick your ass personally if Bakugo doesn’t get there first.” She punched him in the arm, a little harder than playfully, giving him a soft smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As if summoned, Bakugo walked through the doorway, followed by an exhausted looking Kirishima. Both of them had blood stains on their clothing. Izuku stood, terrified of the news they had.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s fine, dumbass. Sleeping, but we managed to stop the bleeding and stitch up the wounds. You’re fucking lucky those knives weren’t modded with anything,” Bakugo grumbled as he pulled his partner to the sink, scrubbing away the remnants of their work. “The hell were you two thinking, going into the fucking Monarch wilderness alone?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! They weren’t alone,” a pink head popped up from the staircase. “They had me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And who the fuck are you?! How do we know you didn’t do that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kacchan, she was there helping us.” For the second time in ten minutes, Izuku ran through the events of the day, this time leaving out the whole reason they were on Monarch in the first place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bakugo glared at Mina when Izuku finished. “I’m still fucking suspicious of you, Neon Head.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m terrified, really. If you fight as well as you insult people, I am sure I have nothing to worry about,” she quipped back, prompting Kirishima to grab the sawbones’ shoulders to hold him back from attacking the huntress.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Seriously, man, you gave us a real scare. The guy tried really hard to get rid of all of his insides when we had to pull the knives out,” Kirishima said grimly. “I’m just glad you made it here when you did, otherwise, I’m pretty sure not even Katsuki could have saved him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wanna say that to my face, Shitty Hair?! I’m the best goddamn doctor in the colony!” Reverend Iida stepped out of his quarters, shouting at Bakugo to keep his voice down so his patient could sleep, which started an argument over who was yelling more, which made Mina and Kirishima jump in to help. At some point, Izuku watched Ochako slip Kirishima the bits she owed him, making him guffaw and slap his forehead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The curly haired captain let out a chuckle in spite of himself. This was his family. When he had been woken up by the professor, he’d been all alone. He was scared, sad, and completely lost in this new world. Technology and society was so different in Halcyon than it was on Earth, and Izuku knew that he wouldn’t have been able to navigate it at all without the help of his friends. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That warm feeling soured when he remembered Shouto lying down in the cargo hold, alone like he had been. He gently stood, effectively silencing the rest of his crew. “Would I be able to go see him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bakugo clicked his tongue on his teeth. “Knock yourself out, you Spacer’s Choice Casanova. Pop any of his stitches and I’ll sew your lips shut for a week.” Despite his grumpy words, Izuku could see the concern in the blonde’s eyes and the way he settled a little closer to Kirishima. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wondered briefly if that’s what he looked like around Shouto. The group let him pass by, and he made his way to the hold. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The ship was eerily quiet when he walked into the large room, as though the Unreliable was holding its breath like her captain, fearing the slightest movement out of place would send Shouto over the edge of the abyss. He looked deathly pale lying there on the workbench, his skin nearly as white as his hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Izuku pulled a stool up next to him. He reached to grab his hand, hesitating before wrapping his scarred fingers around Shouto’s. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry. This is my fault, Shouto. I can’t believe I was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he said, a sob choking his voice. He looked at the bandages encircling his side. Modern medicine meant that the wounds would be healed soon, but Izuku could tell they’d leave their marks on Shouto’s porcelain skin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt traitorous tears slip down his cheeks and vigorously wiped his eyes. He had no right to cry, he told himself. If it wasn’t for his insane need to play the hero, Shouto would be fine. Maybe they’d be on their way to finding his family already. Maybe they’d have found them. Either way, he’d be awake, his eyes sparkling with hidden mischief and a barely-there smirk to match. Izuku felt himself shaking, holding back sobs that wanted to escape from his body. He gripped the sleeping man’s hand tighter and tighter. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s not fair, he didn’t deserve that, it should have been me-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ow.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Izuku looked up so quickly his neck popped. Shouto was blinking at him, flicking his eyes between his hand and Izuku’s face. “You’re crushing my hand,” he said in his typical monotone, but his eyes held the faint light of a smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The green haired man pulled his hand back like he’d been burned. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to, I was just-“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t say you had to stop.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouto wouldn’t meet his eyes, choosing to fiddle with his stomach wraps with one hand, the other still dangling within reach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tentatively, Izuku slid his fingers into Shouto’s. His skin was cold, probably from blood loss (</span>
  <em>
    <span>or how fucking freezing this hold is! I need to have Ocha look at the heating elements.) </span>
  </em>
  <span>“How are you feeling?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like you looked on that mock apple cider adreno cocktail.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Izuku let out a wet chuckle. “Harsh, but fair.” He reached across and tapped the injured man’s other hand. “Don’t futz with that; Kacchan will kill </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> if you mess up his work.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One mention of the doctor had Shouto’s face falling again. “Sorry. Wouldn’t want to make him mad at you.” He pulled his hand out of Izuku’s and painfully put it back on the work table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was something in the way he said that that twisted Izuku the wrong way. “I mean, he’s usually mad at everyone and everything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Izuku sighed with slight exasperation. “Shouto, I really don’t understand what’s going on in your head right now. Please, what did I do that upset you so much?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The injured man heaved his legs over the front of the work table with a grunt and leaned against the back. “Fuck, ow,” he hissed. Izuku moved to help him, but the other just held up a hand to stop him. “I really don’t want your pity or anything. I’ve found myself growing a little too attached to your presence and would really rather not incur any of Dr. Bakugo’s wrath.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Wrath? What do you mean?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Ugh, don’t play coy, Midorya,” Shouto said with venom dripping from his voice. Izuku flinched from the cold sounding use of his last name. “I clearly interrupted something this morning.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Izuku racked his brain for what Shouto could mean. He snapped his fingers. “You mean when we set out? Kacchan was just coming to yell at me about going with you alone.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Ah, so his own breed of aggressive affection.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Affection? No, it was more like suspicion.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Exactly why I don’t want to come between you two. Wouldn’t want to cause any more lover’s spats.” Shouto tried to look distant, but Izuku could see the shininess of his beautiful eyes.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Shouto, what are you… </span>
  <em>
    <span>WAIT</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” the green haired captain choked, voice cracking. “LOVER’S SPATS? You think Kacchan and I… Oh, oh god no, what?!” Shouto looked at him, cautiously startled. “You think- hold on- you think Kacchan- screaming, angry, </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>much in love with Kirishima</span>
  <em>
    <span>- </span>
  </em>
  <span>and I are, what, sleeping together?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Shouto rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t have put it in such vulgar terms, but, yes. Although,” he said, staring down at the floor, face looking more sheepish than Izuku ever thought it could, “after what you’ve just said, I am starting to doubt that assumption.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Izuku held back a laugh for the sake of the other’s pride. “You really should doubt it. That is </span>
  <em>
    <span>NEVER </span>
  </em>
  <span>happening and I think you’d be obliterated for even thinking that. By him, I mean, not me. I suppose I understand where the confusion came in, though,” he said, leaning down with a soft smile to make Shouto meet his eyes. “Shouto, I promise, nothing happened, is happening, or ever will happen like that between him and I. He may be my right hand man, but he only has eyes for Kirishima, despite his arguments to the contrary, and I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>much not interested in him.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Shouto glanced at him through the fringe of his hair. “I apologize for assuming. Truly. I let my emotions get the better of my logic. I hope you can forgive me.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The green-eyed man laughed warmly. “There’s nothing to forgive, Shouto. It was an honest mistake. I’m just glad we can go back to getting along when our lives aren’t in danger. Speaking of,” he continued somberly, “I am the one who should be apologizing to you. I needlessly put you in danger. If you’d like to continue on with Mina as your guide, I won’t blame you.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The other just shook his head. “If I’m being honest, that encounter was probably the best way to open my eyes to the world beyond my upbringing. I really hadn’t comprehended the danger of my journey until I was, you know, in the middle of being stabbed.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Fair enough, but I still want to apologize. You looked really... different in there, not that you weren’t brave and fierce and incredibly-”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“No, you’re right, Izuku,” he said, cutting him off. “I was scared. Terrified even. That man with the scars- the one with the plasma gun?- he said something that… brought back some long buried memories.” Shouto began to shake a little, and Izuku put a hand on his knee to ground him. He looked a little startled at this, but turned, his eyes wide and wet with unshed tears. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shou, you don’t have to talk about it,” he whispered gently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouto shook his head again and pressed on. “No, I want to. It’s a clue. Do you remember me telling you about the first brother, the one who got sick?” Izuku nodded, starting to put the pieces together. “I looked closer at the manifest before we went out. There were two separate shipments listed from Endeavor Co.” He briefly struggled with reaching down for his satchel on the floor before sighing defeatedly and pointing at it. “Can you grab it out of there?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Izuku nodded and reached down to rummage for the manifest. There wasn’t a whole lot out of the ordinary in Shouto’s satchel: an additional scope, some rifle ammo, a knife, but, when he found the datapad, a small piece of paper flipped in the bottom of the bag. It tilted just right and the captain saw a half charred picture of a woman with white hair smiling benignly, like a picture of a saint. On her lap was a small boy with red and white hair, smiling and reaching for the camera. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He heard someone clear their throat. Startled, he looked up and saw Shouto, his eyebrow raised in that quizzical, graceful way that made Izuku’s heart stutter. He quickly handed over the datapad. “Sorry! I, uh, got distracted.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Powering up the machine, Shouto started to cycle through pages, brows furrowed in concentration. “Where is it… Here.” He highlighted a small section of the page and beckoned Izuku to sit next to him. The captain hopped up onto the workbench and leaned over the other’s shoulder. “See, there’s two cargo transfers: one to Monarch containing three ‘crates’ and one to Scylla with only one. The way they’re nicknamed, it seems like my sister Fuyumi and brother Natsuo were shipped with my mother here, while my eldest brother, Touya, was the one sent to Scylla, alone. The contents of the trio of boxes are listed as ‘Non-Essential Valuables: Fragile,’ and the other…” Shouto trailed off, not wanting to read the listing aloud to Izuku, but he didn’t have to. Izuku read it for himself and grimaced, seething.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The other package was labeled as ‘Production Refuse: Discard Upon Arrival.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t have to think too hard to recall the scarred bandit’s words. “So you believe that guy with the machine gun-“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t ‘believe’, I know. That man, that was my brother Touya. I don’t know what fates led us to him,” Shouto continued, starting to shake again. “I can only imagine how much he hates me now. He was right; I didn’t protect them, I did nothing. I am just my father’s lapdog.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Now I know that’s wrong,” Izuku said firmly, twisting to face the other. “Look at me.” Blue and grey slowly met green. “You were a </span>
  <em>
    <span>child</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Shouto. You cannot say that you were responsible for anything that happened when you were a kid. That guy, Touya, his anger has twisted his image of you and is giving him a really unfair memory of the past. He should understand you were just as helpless as he was. Your father has spent your entire existence treating you like a puppet, Shouto. You are not a puppet. This is your life, Shouto Todoroki, not his.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hold went deathly silent. Izuku started to work out an apology in his head when he felt something warm and heavy land on his shoulder. Shouto had leaned forward, dropping his head into the crook of Izuku’s neck. He had no idea what to do, so he just gently moved his hand into Shouto’s now very messy braid. The other man melted into the touch, sighing softly. Izuku’s heart caught in his throat, weighing his next words carefully, but, instead of needing to say anything at all, the other sat up, wiping his eyes.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Sorry, I should have asked before just throwing myself on you.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“No no! It was okay! If you need things like that just, I dunno, just… flop?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Shouto screwed up his nose and started to shake, then burst with laughter. “I’m sorry, what? Flop?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Exasperatedly, Izuku rolled his eyes and grabbed the hysterical man by the shoulders. “Yes! Like this!” He pulled him in, putting him back where he was before and slipping his arms around him. The bi-colored man’s laughter died on the spot, and he hesitated before returning the embrace. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shouto hummed as he nuzzled deeper into Izuku’s neck. “Your heart is beating really fast, are you okay?” Izuku was pretty sure he was in his own special room in hell, designed to torture him with arrythmia, but his voice wouldn’t work to tell his torturer that. Instead, the object of his heart problems just quietly pulled back, leaving them face to face, both slightly pinker than usual and unable to keep their eyes off the other’s lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It felt inevitable, like Shouto’s mouth was a black hole and Izuku a tiny star, ready for the both of them to burst into a radiant supernova as soon as they met. He lifted a hand, reaching for the beautiful man across from him, pausing only to wait for the other’s brief nod of consent. His freckled hand brushed across Shouto’s porcelain cheek. The gravity of this action wasn’t lost on Izuku, but, the instant their lips touched, he felt like he was floating high above the ship, about to fly away on his own through the galaxy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of the world melted away as they sighed together. Izuku wasn’t necessarily inexperienced, but, from the way Shouto adjusted their faces to avoid any more awkward nose bumps, he was definitely rusty. His pride didn’t have time to feel dinged, though. Shouto’s mouth was gently moving against his and his tongue was swiping at Izuku’s bottom lip, as if pleading for entrance. Ever the gentleman, Izuku obliged and their kisses went from gentle and chaste to something more frantic. Their breath came in shallow gasps; Izuku felt slender fingers lace themselves into his curls, drawing a whimper out of his throat. His teeth grazed Shouto’s bottom lip in return, prompting a growl from the other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey guys, Katsuki has dinner ready and he sent- WHOA! Whoops!” The two of them sprung apart to see Kirishima, face as red as his hair, hiding badly behind the entry porthole into the room. “I, uh, I’m super sorry to interrupt, but I needed to get you both upstairs for dinner. Okay that’s it. I’ll, uh… I’ll see you in the dining room. For dinner. Yup.” And the redhead darted away as quickly as he’d arrived.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Izuku shyly hopped down from the workbench and offered his hand. Shouto shyly took it and gracefully stepped off, letting their hands linger against each other. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“So…” Izuku started, trailing off. Social interaction was never his strong suit and the few romantic encounters he’d had ended in disaster, so he silently begged Shouto to take the lead like he had with the kiss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Captain, I hope you don’t regret that. Please, I don’t think I could take that today, not after literally being stabbed,” he laughed weakly, a smile not reaching his nervous eyes.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Shouto,” he turned, looking him in the eyes. “Your tongue was just in my mouth. Call me Izuku.” That quip cracked the tension like a tossball bat through sugar. Shouto broke into full laughter again, leaning against the shorter man. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>It took a bit for Shouto’s chuckles to subside, but when he did, he solemnly laced their fingers together.”Izuku, I want to tell the others.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“About us? They all kind of suspected something was already happening.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“No, not that- wait they did?” Shouto shook his head. “No, I meant my family. I want them to know what I dragged you into danger for. I don’t want them to be suspicious of me any longer. They deserve to know,” he finished, gently touching the bandages on his side.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Izuku didn’t know what to say, so he leaned up and gave Shouto a kiss. “Only if you’re ready.”</span>
  <span></span>
    <br/>
  
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“It’s my life, isn’t it? Let’s go. Bakugo will already be pissed that we’re late, let’s not make him come looking.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Undeniable Attraction on The Unreliable</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Dinner was a quiet affair, at least, as quiet as anything could be aboard the Unreliable, which meant Bakugo loudly scolded the pair for being late, then Reverend Iida scolded Bakugo for yelling during the ‘family meal’, who yelled back that he could yell whenever he damn well pleased, and Shouto and Izuku’s kiss bitten lips and tousled hair were soon forgotten. It hadn’t stopped Uraraka from shooting a knowing smirk at Izuku, waggling her eyebrows and making her dinner rolls kiss. </span>
  <em>
    <span>At least Kirishima has some discretion.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, Shou-chan,” Mina said around a mouthful of bread. “How are your new body piercings doing? No offense, but if you really wanted them done, you could have just asked instead of getting yourself stabbed.” She tapped on the silver rings in her ears to emphasize her point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for your concern, Miss Ashido, my wounds are healing very nicely, though, if I choose to get any metal added to my body permanently, I will come to you.” Izuku sputtered as Shouto smirked at him over his glass. The mental image of that face with dangerous looking piercings may actually kill him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am glad your injuries are healing, my child. Be sure to eat all of your vegetables so you have an optimal recovery!” Iida smiled at him with warmth. It made Izuku melt a little to see his crew concerned about Shouto’s health.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Reverend. I appreciate all of your concern,” Shouto said, laying his fork across his plate. “I actually wanted to speak with you all about… what happened today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room went silent with only the endless whirring of the air filters filling the tense atmosphere. Shouto looked to Izuku with a silent plea for help, and Izuku stood.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“As you all know, Shouto and I were out on Monarch today when we ended up in trouble with those bandits. Originally, Shouto had asked me to keep our reasons a secret, but, after what happened, we agreed to tell you why we went out there basically alone,” he started, giving a light nod to Mina, who raised her glass to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouto joined him, leaning against him slightly, as though contact with Izuku would help him make it through his story. Izuku watched his friends’ faces shift from horror to sadness to anger as they listened to the story Shouto had told him a few days ago. He saw Kacchan’s hands clench themselves around his fork, knuckles white, while Kirishima held him just a little closer with that righteous fire aglow in his eyes. Ochako teared up and Iida folded his hands in silent prayer. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>When Shouto finished his story, he paused to gauge the reaction of the group, and continued. “It was incredibly stupid and arrogant of me to think I could solve this with just Izuku’s help, and even dumber to think you all wouldn’t care about my problems, about me. Today proved that I need to rely on you all, so… can I ask for your help? I know-- oof!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man was cut off by a punch to the arm followed by a tight hug from Ochako. “Are you kidding? You thought that we, the most ragtag orphan group of adventurers in the history of the galaxy, wouldn’t want to help you find your mom?! You are a great big dummy, Shouto-san.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s right, Brother Todoroki. This group seems to be held together by a sense of righteousness and utter distaste for everything your father stands for; why in Law’s name would you think we wouldn’t want to assist in your mission?” Reverend Iida asked, crossing to lay a reassuring hand on the wide-eyed man’s shoulder. “We would be honored to help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kirishima jumped to his feet. “Yeah! I’m always ready to take down some Board jerks!” He pounded his fist against his palm, a deviously excited grin on his face. “And I know Katsuki will be more than happy as long as he gets to explode something of your dad’s, right babe?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tch. Whatever. Candy Cane, you just tell me which guys to aim my grenades at and I’ll do the rest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izuku’s heart swelled as he watched the people he’d grown to love voice their support for the beautiful man that had captured his heart. Shouto looked mildly flustered and confused by the sudden acceptance from everyone in the room, but his face slowly stretched into a smile. Their eyes met above Mina where she had attached herself to Shouto in a near crushing embrace. “Told you so,” Izuku mouthed at Shouto with a smirk, and Shouto blushed and nodded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gingerly, Shouto patted Mina’s arm and she let go, dark makeup smeared from tears and sniffling. “Thank you, everyone. I’m- I’m honestly floored and relieved I have you all by my side. I don’t know quite when we’ll be able to go back out, but I want to as soon as I can.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kacchan clanked his glass back onto the table and pointed a scolding finger at Shouto. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> won’t be going out again until at least three days from now. Your skin might be healed but those tablets I gave you won’t finish healing your muscle tissue for a while, and I refuse to patch you up like that again.” Kirishima rolled his eyes behind Bakugo’s back, giving the others a gesture that implies he didn’t mean it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In that case, a few of us can spend some time scouting for information. We needed to go to Amber Heights for the professor, anyway, so that’ll give us a few more people to question about this. Maybe we can even find out something about those bandits, too,” Izuku strategized, descending rapidly into mumbling territory. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ochako laid a delicate hand on the distracted captain’s shoulder, jolting him out of his thoughts. “It’s getting late, and you three,” she said, nodding at Shouto and Mina, “have had a very long day. We should all head to bed.” The crew voiced their assent, grabbing dinner dishes and putting them in the sink for the crew’s SAM unit to take care of. Ochako leaned up to Izuku as he gathered the remaining platters. “When I say head to bed, I do mean head to sleep. Bakugo will kill you if Shouto participates in too rigorous of activities,” the mechanic giggled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izuku turned so crimson he clashed with his hair, but kept his mouth shut. He wasn’t even thinking about that before she said anything, but, as intrusive ideas are wont to do, he couldn’t get the idea of what Shouto might look and sound like during those ‘activities’ out of his head. The memory of the breathy gasps and moans he’d savored as they kissed earlier didn’t help matters at all, and soon he was rushing back to his cabin. He was so focused on making a beeline for the door that he found himself crashing into something warm and squishy at the end of the hall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, sorry,” the soft obstacle said, and Izuku finally lifted his eyes to see the man who’d been occupying his thoughts standing awkwardly at his threshold. “I was just, um, hoping to speak with you. Alone,” Shouto breathed, eyes not quite meeting Izuku’s and cheeks flushed pink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shorter man could only nod, reaching without looking to open the door to his quarters. He gestured Shouto inside and the beautiful man swept in, tripping over his toes a little in his haste. Izuku felt a little relieved that Shouto seemed to be as nervous as he was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouto paced back and forth in the center of the room. Izuku barely got the chance to ask him what he needed when he felt desperate lips upon his. Startled, he felt himself back into the wall, effectively trapping himself in the other’s grasp. He felt one of Shouto’s arms box him in, the other worked its way behind his back, pulling him flush against his front. Izuku sunk into the kiss and let himself be carried into the current of Shouto’s passions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the kiss grew needier, so did Izuku’s desire to feel Shouto’s skin beneath his hands. He moved his hands between their chests and clumsily tried to open the buttons on Shouto’s shirt. “Why- </span>
  <em>
    <span>ah</span>
  </em>
  <span>!- did Shu-San give this so many damn - </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck, Shouto- </span>
  </em>
  <span>buttons?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From where he was kissing his way up Izuku’s jaw, Shouto groaned. “‘Zuku, please. She’s a nice lady but please don’t mention her during, well, this.” He rocked himself into Izuku’s leg, and he could feel how hard the other man had gotten. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck, Shou, you know you’re not supposed to do anything too physical yet.” Izuku was melting into Shouto’s ministrations, his unbuttoning attempt abandoned as his hands trembled. He knew Katsuki would actually destroy him if Shouto hurt himself again, but that was starting to look like a risk he’d be willing to take. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as he considered throwing Shouto onto the bed and casting caution to the aether, the heat by his ear started to work its way lower as Shouto pressed kisses down Izuku’s shaking body, deftly undoing both his shirt and the man in his arms while practically worshipping every inch of skin he exposed as he dropped to his knees. Izuku moaned when Shouto smirked up at him, leaving little bites along the edge of Izuku’s remaining clothes. “You can tell me to stop at any time, but I didn’t have anything too rigorous in mind,” he murmured, mouthing along the outline of Izuku’s cock through the fabric. “You won’t break me, Captain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izuku’s mouth went dry as he let out a pitiful whimper. This was absolutely torture. This was his punishment for all the bandits he’s killed: the feeling of Shouto’s hot mouth on him dulled by his straining against the confines of his pants. When Shouto mercifully undid them, he breathed a cry of relief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Izuku,” Shouto said lowly, looking up at Izuku through his lashes. “I won’t do anything until you ask me to.” He continued to lick at Izuku through the fabric of his underthings, making Izuku writhe and moan beneath him. The kneeling man grinned darkly. “Use your words, dissident. Won’t you ravage me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was it. Izuku broke, hauling Shouto up off his knees, swapping their places so Shouto was pinned to the wall, wrists held in one hand as Izuku began to pull at the remaining fastenings on Shouto’s shirt. A couple of the small buttons went flying, and he felt the aristocrat smile against his mouth. Izuku’s confidence shot to the stars. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He wants this, he wants </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>me</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He growled as his hands dropped to cup Shouto through his pants. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck!” Shouto shook under Izuku’s touch. He clawed Izuku’s shoulders as he arched further into his partner’s hand, a stream of unconsciously moaned pleas leaving his lips. Izuku rolled his palm over and over, the pretty man reduced to whimpers of pleasure as he slowed to a painful, teasing speed. Shouto whined indignantly at the sudden change.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Izuku chuckled. “I thought you wanted to be ravaged? To be taken apart piece by piece,” he rumbled into Shouto’s ear, emphasizing the words with pressure from his hand. Shouto’s nails dug further into his skin, his breathing quickening to little rattling gasps. “Tell me what you want. Use your words, Shouto.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Please, I’m begging- fuck!- touch me! Anything you want, I’m yours, Izuku!” Shouto cried, tears forming at the corners of his beautiful eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s all I needed to hear.” Izuku scooped the begging man up, kissing him as he carried him to the bunk. He laid Shouto down, pausing to stare reverently at the gorgeous creature laid out below him. Briefly, he wondered what would have happened if he would have turned down Shouto’s offer to run away with him, but a soft noise from the man in question brought him back to the reality where he did say yes and brought this incredible, smart-mouthed, lovely man into his life and, somehow, brought him into his bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Focused back on the now, Izuku gently brushed some of Shouto’s hair from his eyes. “Are you sure about this? I don’t want you to get hurt.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Or regret this.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am. I am as sure about this as I was about coming with you, Izuku. Perhaps more. Now would you please get down here and continue this?” Shouto smiled with dark playfulness as he pulled Izuku by the bottom of his undone shirt into a passionate kiss. He slid the button down from Izuku’s shoulders, tossing it to the side, running his hands back up his strong arms with an appreciative hum. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enjoying yourself?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yes. You do realize every time you’ve thrown me around, I’ve fantasized about what your arms would look like under your clothes, right? Of course I’m enjoying myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Izuku preened at Shouto’s praise. He flexed his biceps, causing the other to moan and grip his arms appreciatively. Shouto raked his nails down them, slipping his hands into Izuku’s. He rolled his head to the side and pressed a soft kiss to one of them. “I want you inside me. Please.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He groaned in response. “Are you sure that won’t be too much? I don’t want to hurt you, Shou.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’m not made of glass, Izuku. You won’t hurt me. If I do start to feel uncomfortable, I promise I’ll say something. Just be gentle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Law above, Izuku had no idea how he would manage that, but he would absolutely figure out how. He dropped closer to Shouto to give him a kiss. “I’ll be right back, don’t move.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Is that an order, Captain?” he smirked. Shouto crossed his wrists above his head, putting on an air of helplessness. “Oh please, do whatever you want dissident, just please, don’t hurt me,” he said in a breathy, damsel-esque voice.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Izuku half-snorted. “You’re really into that whole ‘ravaged by a dissident’ thing aren’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouto grinned and shrugged. “I mean, I did have a rather tawdry serial I read several times over that </span>
  <em>
    <span>may </span>
  </em>
  <span>have something to do with that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just several?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t have a lot of friends before you; I had quite a bit of free time to… imagine things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The green-haired captain chuckled. “So what I’m hearing is that you would love to live out those fantasies someday?” Izuku brushed his fingers over the edge of Shouto’s scar, a visible shudder going through his body as he leaned into the touch. “Would you mind if we waited to do that? I’d like to just… love you tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shouto’s stormy eyes widened, a sheen of emotion shining there. He pressed another kiss to Izuku’s hand before leaning up to place one on his lips. “That sounds fine. More than fine.” He brushed his nose against Izuku’s. “I’d like that quite a lot.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Good,” Izuku responded, kissing Shouto on the forehead. “That’s what I hoped to hear.”</span>
  <span></span>
  <br/>
</p>
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